Strain-free stationary furnace door actuator for a coke furnace battery of the &#34;heat-recovery&#34; type

ABSTRACT

A strain-free stationary furnace door actuator for a coke furnace battery of the “non-recovery” or “heat-recovery” type, by way of which vertical opening of the coke furnace chamber doors is possible without the use of a coke furnace operating machine, wherein the deviations of the tension elements of the furnace door actuator from the intended arrangements, which result from strain of the transmitting devices, and undesired increases in tension force, which result from differences in the adhesion forces of the coke furnace chamber doors during closure, are avoided by the use of low-strain transmitting devices and tension elements. A method for the strain-free, stationary actuation of the door of a coke furnace battery of the “heat-recovery” type is also disclosed. The method uses rigid tension elements and low-strain transmitting devices for automatically opening and closing coke furnace chamber doors.

The invention refers to an expansion-free stationary oven door controller for a coke oven plant type “Heat-Recovery”, by means of which vertical opening of the coke oven chamber doors is possible without the use of a coke oven operating machine, whereby the deviations of the tension members of the oven door controller from the reference configurations resulting from the expansions of the transmission devices, and undesirable traction force amplification arising from the differences in the adhesion forces of the coke oven chamber doors during closing can be avoided by the use of low-expansion transmission devices and tension members. The invention also applies to a method for the expansion-free stationary oven door operation of a coke oven plant of type “Heat-Recovery” using rigid tension members and expansion-free transmission devices for the automatic opening and closing of coke oven chamber doors.

The manufacture of coke usually takes place cyclically, whereby the coal is first loaded into the coke oven chamber for coking, the coal is turned into coke and the produced coke is then evacuated out of the coke oven chamber. In order to implement this cyclic production method, the coke oven chamber doors must be opened after loading and closed again after evacuation. As this procedure is time-consuming and the temperatures applied during coking are demanding from a safety-related point of view, there are several state-of-the art technologies that mechanically implement the process of opening and closing coke oven chamber doors.

Usually, the procedure of opening the coke oven chamber doors is adopted by the coke oven evacuation machine, which removes the door and moves it in horizontal direction away from the coke oven prior to the evacuation procedure. After emptying and loading of the coke oven chamber, the coke oven chamber door is put back again into the opening provided. The disadvantage of this procedure is that a large space requirement exists in front of the coke oven chamber doors for the coke oven operating machine, which initiates the procedure of lifting off and re-inserting the door, in order to enable the horizontal moving away of the coke oven chamber door.

For this reason there are several state-of-the-art methods enabling the opening of the coke oven chamber door by direct vertical lifting. Hence, no room is required in front of the coke oven chamber doors for opening and closing devices.

The WO 01/18150 A2 describes a system of coke oven chambers, secondary heating rooms, cooling air ducts underneath the coke oven chambers, air supply ducts, regulating devices for the intake of air into the air supply ducts, exhaust collecting ducts, coal loading machines, which are loaded from the roof of the coke oven chambers, evacuation machines, which evacuate from one side of the coke oven chambers, and quenching trolleys, which pick up the coke on the opposite side of the coke oven chambers, coke oven chamber doors, door opening and closing mechanisms, coke storage devices, a quenching tower and an exhaust collecting duct to the boiler facilities. This principle reveals an opening and closing mechanism for coke oven chamber doors, which opens the doors vertically by means of tensile force with a hydraulic drive unit, whereby the tensile force is transferred by cables, which is converted into a horizontal tensile force via deflection pulleys, such that the tension device can transport the cable horizontally and against a counterweight. No reference to the automated actuation of the coke oven chamber doors is made, by means of which individual activation of the coke oven chamber doors is possible, and reliable opening and closing of individual coke oven chamber doors of a coke oven battery is possible.

DE 144947 C describes a device for the lifting and lowering of coke oven chamber doors, in particular of coke ovens by means of a power cylinder automatically connected with a rod, a frame or an equivalent type of device and a tensioning device guided by rollers and contacting the oven doors, whereby the movable rod or similar in the front direction of the ovens is equipped with several tensioning devices, such that several oven doors can be lifted simultaneously as required. This device also has the disadvantage that the automated operation of an entire coke oven bench with the individual coke oven chambers is not possible, as an actuating device for an individual power transmission mechanism is not available, and that the transmission of the tensile force takes place with one single cable.

The DE 98545 C describes a device for the opening and losing of coke oven chamber doors, by means of which pulling up and lowering of the coke oven chamber doors is enabled mechanically and from a joint position, in which a winch travelling in front direction is installed in a coke oven bench or coke oven battery above the coke oven chamber doors, whose tensioning devices are on the one hand a set power source, and on the other hand can be connected to one of the coke oven chamber doors with the purpose of being able to pull up each individual door of adjacent doors from one point. The invention does not enable the automatic activation of an individual coke oven chamber door, but only the manual activation of the individual coke oven chamber doors. The automated operation of an entire coke oven bench with the individual coke oven chambers is therefore not possible. Another problem is that a power transmission system is used, which does not meet the mechanical requirements of a modern coke oven chamber door opening mechanism.

The WO 2009068183 A1 describes a drive mechanism for the vertical opening and closing of coke oven chamber doors and of horizontal coke oven chambers, which lifts the doors to open position via a chain or cable, and the cable or chain is connected to an actuating lever via deflection pulleys, such that the cable or chain is horizontally pulled and the doors are vertically pulled up via deflection pulleys, whereby the actuating lever is connected to a pulling lug, which reaches into the gripper cam of a gripper trolley after actuation of the actuating lever, and the gripper trolley is driven via a cable pull, and the door is pulled into opened position after actuation of the actuating lever, and is also locked in opened position via a suitable mechanism. The mechanism however does not enable a centimetre-accurate actuation of the movement mechanism, as the chains or cables used can be expanded and are expanded during actuation due to the high tensile forces. The gripper cam used on the gripper trolley is also exposed to high tensile forces.

These inventions enable the vertical opening and closing of coke oven chamber doors, by means of which the chamber doors can be positioned during the evacuation and loading via the come oven chamber door opening. Opening and closing take place by means of flexible cables, which are exposed to high tensile and extension forces. This causes the length of the cables to change, depending on the tensile force applied and the expansion coefficient of the cable material used. The exact position of the doors can therefore not be exactly determined over the entire use due to the changing length of the cables. This frequently leads to difficulties during controlling the opening procedure. Furthermore, the cables may break due to the high tensile forces, which represents a great danger for the operating personnel. The course of the cables must therefore be extensively protected by corresponding protective guards. The coke oven chamber doors also stick during the course of the coking process due to coking products deposited in the doors, such that a high tensile force needs to be applied for opening, which differs according to the degree of adhesion. This required the correspondingly strong dimensions of the cables used, which involves high investment and operating costs accordingly.

It would therefore be of advantage to provide a tensile force transmission for the vertical opening and closing of coke oven chamber doors, which is no longer subject to expansion and which cannot tear as a result of expansion forces. This enables the exact calculation of the course of the tensile and relief process for opening and closing the coke oven chamber doors, and extra effort in the control of the installations can be avoided. There is also no need for guards for the operating team for the limitation of cable breakage. After all, expansion-free tensile force transmission devices can be permanently designed substantially cheaper and more sustainably, which also contributes to the improvement of the economy of the entire process.

Therefore there is the task of providing a method or mechanism, which can reliably operate the door locking mechanisms of coke oven chambers, and which does not use expandable cables for the transmission of tensile forces, and the expandable or tear-prone cables are to be replaced not only for the traction of a traction trolley, but also for the transmission of the tensile force of a traction trolley to the coke oven chamber door. Finally, the traction trolley should be designed such that breakage-prone gripper cams are not required.

The invention solves this task by means of a device, which vertically opens or closes coke oven chamber doors locking the coke oven chambers at the front, with a tension member equipped with a break-proof and expansion-resistant draw hook, whereby a traction trolley, which runs horizontally on a guiding device along the front of the coke oven chamber, through a transmission device, which is firmly connected to the traction trolley, is connected via a connecting mechanism to the tension member upon request, and the traction trolley with the transmission device is firmly connected via deflection pulleys to the coke oven chamber doors, and the tension member as well as the transmission device is rigid and free from expansion, such that the coke oven chamber doors open or close vertically upon a horizontal movement of the tension member upon request of the connecting mechanism. This request can take place manually; it is, however, preferably initiated automatically via remote control.

The tension member is typically a rigid steel tension rod. A chain is typically used as a transmission device, the segments of which are low in expansion, whereby a hard steel is particularly suitable for the manufacture of the segments. The tension rod as the tension member is therefore tear-resistant, and the chain made of low-expansion steel segments is no longer subject to elongation. Therefore the control of the opening and closing process can be made much easier.

In particular, a expansion-free stationary oven door controller for a coke oven plant type “Heat-Recovery” is indicated, comprising

-   -   a coke oven bench or a coke oven battery with a quantity of         in-line coke oven chambers,     -   coke oven chamber doors, which are vertically movable and close         the coke oven chambers at the front,     -   a horizontally displaceable tension member, which runs along the         front of the coke oven chamber at least in parts, and which is         equipped with a drive unit, and which is equipped with at least         one draw hook,     -   a traction trolley, which runs along the front of the coke oven         chamber at least in parts and is horizontally movable,     -   a transmission device, which is firmly connected to the traction         trolley, and which is firmly connected to the coke oven chamber         doors via deflection pulleys, and which must be at least         temporarily connected to the traction trolley with the rigid         tension member,

and which is characterised in that

-   -   the tension member is rigid and expansion-free, and     -   the transmission device is low in expansion, and     -   a connecting mechanism connects the traction trolley to the         rigid tension member upon request.

The device is preferably used on both sides of the coke oven chamber front, meaning not only on the machine side but also on the coke side. The rigid tension member is preferably a tension rod. The transmission device is low in expansion or almost expansion-free in a preferred version. The low-expansion transmission device is preferably a chain made of low-expansion steel segments. Low-expansion is understood to mean that the chain only changes by a few millimetres in its entire length during the opening or closing process.

The connection mechanism, which connects the traction trolley to the tension member upon request for the transmission of the tensile force can be of any type. This can be brought from resting to working position by a tilt, swivel or lift movement, for example.

The connecting mechanism is preferably a stirrup fastened to the traction trolley via a joint, and which can be pivoted using a lever on request, by means of which the draw hook of the tension rod engages in a retainer provided in the stirrup when the tension rod is moved, which enables trouble-free passing of the draw hook when the stirrup is not pivoted.

However, the connecting mechanism can also be a slide, which is fastened to the traction trolley via a bearing such that this can be moved transversely to the direction of movement of the traction trolley, and which can be pushed on request using a lever, by means of which the draw hook of the tension rod engages into the hole provided for this purpose on request when the tension rod moves, or presses a draw hook against a protrusion of the slide. Therefore the stirrup is no longer required. Hence, a pulling gripper cam as taught in state-of-the-art technology, with a potentially breakable hook is no longer necessary.

It is advantageous to provide a traction trolley respectively for each coke oven chamber with a coke oven chamber door to be opened. On the opposite side of the coke oven chamber with the coke oven chamber door to be operated it is advantageous to provide an additional traction trolley, which is pulled by the respective tension rod, such that both opposite coke oven chamber doors of a coke oven chamber can be operated independently or simultaneously.

The tension rod have any type of drive unit. Due to the drive unit, the tension rod or the tension member is moved in horizontal direction along the front of the coke oven chamber. The drive unit is preferably provided with a hydraulic cylinder at least at one end. This is driven by the hydraulic pump of a hydraulic unit. In a further preferred version, the tension rod is equipped at least at one end with a geared motor unit. This drive unit can be positioned in any position as long as a reliable transmission of the tensile force to the tension rod is possible. If this is a geared motor unit, it is preferably positioned on the roof of the coke oven chamber next to the tension member. This enables short force transmission paths.

The tension rod or the tension member can be equipped with any draw hooks or protrusions for the transmission of the tensile force. The draw hooks can for example be horizontally adjustable in longitudinal direction in the suspension position on the tension member. The tension rod is typically mounted on rollers for the improvement of mobility.

The request mechanism for the stirrup or the slide can be of any design. This may be equipped with a simple lever for permanent or auxiliary manual actuation. However, this is preferably equipped with an automatic mechanism, by means of which the stirrup or slide is moved into the position required for the tensile force.

A method for the expansion-free stationary oven door control of a coke oven plant type “Heat-Recovery” is also indicated, in which

-   -   the coke oven chamber doors of a coke oven bench or a coke oven         battery with a quantity of in-line coke oven chambers must be         periodically opened and closed, and     -   a traction trolley equipped with a connecting mechanism, which         is movable along the front of the coke oven chamber via a         guiding device remains in resting position without request, and         which is characterised in that     -   a rigid and expansion-free tension member, which is equipped         with a draw hook, moves upon request longitudinally along the         coke oven chamber front, and     -   the connecting mechanism connects the traction trolley and the         tension member upon request via the draw hook, such that the         traction trolley with the tension member is moved longitudinally         along the coke oven chamber front, and     -   the traction trolley opens the coke oven chamber door via a low         tension transmission device and closes the coke oven chamber         door upon the return of the traction trolley.

The tension member or the tension rod can have any type of drive for horizontal displacement, which is used as a force after deflection in vertical direction for the opening and closing of the coke oven chamber doors. The tension member can for example be moved by a hydraulic cylinder driven by a hydraulic pump of a hydraulic unit. The tension member can also be moved by a geared motor unit positioned at the end of the tension rod, and which for example transmits the tensile force and pulling movement to the tension rod by pinion or lantern gear force transmission. The hydraulic element or the geared motor can be of any design. They can be powered by a combustion engine, electrically or by steam, for example. The drive units can for example be located at the end of the tension rod, where they transmit the traction force and pulling movement to the tension rod.

The transmission device is of low expansion or preferably expansion-free, which is expressed by the length only changing by a few millimetres during opening and closing. This can be measured above all at the overstroke facility of the hydraulic cylinder on the tension member, which is for example set to a maximum overstroke of 150 mm. Not only the different door lift but also the chain expansion are compensated by this overstroke.

The drive unit can run temporarily or permanently, depending on the duration of the coking procedure and number of coke oven chambers to be operated. If it runs temporarily, it can for example be requested or started by a remote control mechanism. It can also run permanently and be coupled in for the displacement procedure.

The connecting mechanism can also be requested as required. This may take place manually or by remote control. It is therefore thinkable that the connecting mechanism is requested by radio remote control. Remote control via cable is also conceivable. In one version of the invention it is also possible to operate the connecting mechanism from the coke oven operating machine as, for example, a coke evacuation machine.

The invention-related procedure is used preferably not only in coke oven benches of type “Non-Recovery” but also of type “Heat-Recovery”. But all types of coke oven plants in which the application of coke oven chamber doors to be opened and closed vertically are of advantage are possible for this.

The invention-related device and the thus performed method have the advantage that the coke oven chamber doors of a coke oven bench or a coke oven battery can be individually opened or closed without requiring space in front of the coke oven chamber, whereby expandable cables that may lead to less accuracy in the opening and closing procedure are not used for the transmission of the driving force. Due to the invention-related device it is also no longer necessary to provide the usually used cables with guards as protection against cable breakage. This contributes to an improved efficiency of the entire process.

The process flow of the invention-related procedure is exclaimed in more detail on the basis of five drawings, whereby the invention-related procedure is not restricted to these versions.

FIG. 1 shows a coke oven bench with six coke oven chambers, which are equipped with the invention-related device for the lifting and lowering of the coke oven chamber doors.

FIG. 2 shows a coke oven bench with six coke oven chambers in a vertical view from above.

FIG. 3 shows a stirrup-type invention-related connecting mechanism from a side view.

FIG. 4 shows a stirrup-type invention-related connecting mechanism from the front.

FIG. 5 shows a slide-type invention-related connecting mechanism from the front.

FIG. 1 shows a coke oven bench (1) with six coke oven chambers (2 a-f), which are equipped with frontal coke oven chamber doors (3 a-f), whereby the doors (3 a-f) are opened by vertical lifting, such that the coke oven chambers (2) are ready for loading, and closed by vertical lowering. The coke oven chamber doors (3 a-f) are connected by a chain (4) made of low-expansion segments (4 a), which in turn are connected to a traction trolley (5). The traction trolley (5) consists of the actual trolley, which is fastened on a tension rod situated above it (6) with a rollable suspension (7), and a connecting mechanism (8), which is connected to the trolley (5). Upon request, the connecting mechanism (8) closes, such that the traction trolley (5) is mechanically firmly connected to the tension rod (6). The tension rod (6) is displaced in horizontal direction (here to the right), such that the left-hand come oven chamber door (3 a) opens by being lifted. This exposes the coke cake (9) in the coke oven chamber. The driving unit (10) for the tension rod (6) can also be seen, which consist of a hydraulic cylinder (10 a). The connecting mechanism (8) consists of a stirrup (8 a), which by folding up and locking engages in a protrusion (11) or draw hook of the tension rod (6), thus carrying along or relieving the tension rod (6) during horizontal displacement.

FIG. 2 shows a coke oven bench (1) consisting of six coke oven chambers (2 a-f) in a vertical view from above. The coke oven chambers (2 a-f) are carried at the front of the coke oven chamber in lateral direction by (12) buckstays. The tension rod (6) can be seen, which is displaceable in horizontal direction. This preferably takes place via a drive (10) of hydraulic cylinder (10 a) design. By means of the horizontal displacement of the tension rod (6), a traction trolley (5) is connected to the tension rod (6) upon request, such that the traction trolley (5) is carried along. This opens the coke oven chamber door below (3).

FIG. 3 shows a side view of the connecting mechanism (8). The connecting mechanism (8) is designed here as a stirrup (8 a) seated in a bracket (13) with a joint (13 a). The stirrup (8 a) is folded upwards on request, by means of which the stirrup (8 a) engages via a bar (14) into the draw hook (11) of the tension rod (6). In case of a horizontal displacement of the tension rod (6) the stirrup (8 a) is taken along with it. The stirrup (8 a) is in turn connected to the traction trolley (5), such that upon the horizontal displacement of the tension rod (6) the traction trolley (5) is also displaced. This again is connected via chains (4) to the coke oven chamber door (3), such that the coke oven chamber door (3) is opened or closed by the horizontal displacement movement. The folded back stirrup (8 b) with bar (14 a) can also be seen, which enables the passing of the draw hook (11).

FIG. 4 shows the same connecting mechanism (8) in a view along the tension rod (6). On the traction trolley (5), which is mounted on a roller device (5 a), a carrying facility is installed (15), to which a stirrup (8 a) with bar (14) is fastened. This is also folded down here and is swivelled upwards upon request with a lever (15 a), such that a draw hook (11) mounted on the tension rod (6) can engage into the bar (14) of the stirrup (8 a). As a result, the traction trolley (5), on which the chain (4) with the coke oven chamber door (3) is suspended, is carried along. Upon pulling back of the tension rod (6) the stirrup (8 a) is relieved, such that the coke oven chamber door (3) falls back into the coke oven chamber door opening due to the dead weight.

FIG. 5 shows a connecting mechanism (8), which is designed as a slide (8 c). This has a protrusion (8 d), which is pressed by lateral displacement of the slide (8 c) against the draw hook (11) of the tension rod (6). When the tension rod (6) is moved (vertically to the paper level), the traction trolley (5) is carried along and relieved when the tension rod (6) is pulled back. This opens and closes the coke oven chamber doors (3). The slide is mounted in a carrying device (15) and operated by a lever (15 a).

REFERENCE SYMBOL LIST

-   1 Coke oven bench or coke oven battery -   2 a-f Coke oven chambers -   3 a-f Coke oven chamber doors -   4 Chain -   4 a Chain segment -   5 Traction trolley -   5 a Roller device -   5 b Guiding device -   6 Tension rod -   7 Suspension -   8 Connecting mechanism -   8 a Stirrup -   8 b Folded back stirrup -   8 c Slide -   8 d Protrusion on the slide -   9 Coke cake -   10 Driving unit -   10 a Hydraulic cylinder -   11 Bracket or draw hook -   12 Buckstay -   13 Bracket -   13 a Bracket hinge -   14 Bar -   14 a Folded back bar -   15 Carrying device for stirrup or slide -   15 a Lever on carrying device 

1.-15. (canceled)
 16. A coke oven plant having an expansion-free stationary oven door controller for a coke oven plant type “Heat-Recovery”, comprising a coke oven bench or a coke oven battery with a quantity of in-line coke oven chambers, coke oven chamber doors, which are vertically movable and close the coke oven chambers at the front, a horizontally displaceable tension member, which runs along the front of the coke oven chamber at least in parts, and which is equipped with a drive unit, and which is equipped with at least one draw hook, a fraction trolley, which runs on a guiding device along the front of the coke oven chamber at least in parts in a horizontally movable manner, a transmission device, which is firmly connected to the traction trolley, and which is firmly connected to the coke oven chamber doors via deflection pulleys, and which is to be at least temporarily connected to the rigid tension member via the traction trolley, wherein the tension member is rigid and expansion-free, and the transmission device is low in expansion, and a connecting mechanism connects the traction trolley to the rigid tension member upon request.
 17. The coke oven plant in accordance with claim 16, wherein the rigid tension member is a tension rod.
 18. The coke oven plant in accordance with claim 16, wherein the low-expansion transmission device is a chain made of low-expansion steel segments.
 19. The coke oven plant in accordance with claim 16, wherein the connecting mechanism is a stirrup fastened to the traction trolley via a joint, and which can be pivoted using a lever on request, as a result of which the draw hook of the tension member engages in a bracket provided in the stirrup when the tension member is displaced, which enables trouble-free passing of the draw hook when the stirrup is not pivoted.
 20. The coke oven plant in accordance with claim 16, wherein the connecting mechanism is a slide, which is fastened to the traction trolley via a bearing such that this can be moved transversely to the direction of movement of the traction trolley, and which can be pushed on request using a lever, as a result of which the draw hook of the tension member engages into an opening provided for this purpose on request when the tension member moves, or presses the draw hook against a protrusion of the slide.
 21. The coke oven plant in accordance with claim 16, wherein one traction trolley each is provided for each coke oven chamber with a coke oven chamber door to be opened.
 22. The coke oven plant in accordance with claim 16, wherein the tension member is equipped at least at one end with a hydraulic cylinder, which is driven by the hydraulic pump of a hydraulic unit.
 23. The coke oven plant in accordance with claim 16, wherein the tension member is equipped at least at one end with a geared motor unit.
 24. The coke oven plant in accordance with claim 16, wherein the tension member is equipped with draw hooks that are longitudinally adjustable.
 25. A method for the expansion-free, stationary oven door control of a coke oven plant type “Heat-Recovery”, in which the coke oven chamber doors of a coke oven bench or a coke oven battery with a quantity of in-line coke oven chambers are to be periodically opened and closed, and a traction trolley which is equipped with a connecting mechanism and is movable along the front of the coke oven chamber via a guiding device remains in the resting position without request, wherein a rigid and expansion-free tension member, which is equipped with a draw hook, moves upon request longitudinally along the front of the coke oven chamber, and the connecting mechanism connects the traction trolley and the tension member upon request via the draw hook, such that the traction trolley with the tension member is moved longitudinally along the front of the coke oven chamber, and the traction trolley opens the coke oven chamber door via a low-expansion transmission device and closes the coke oven chamber door upon the return of the traction trolley.
 26. The method in accordance with claim 25, wherein the tension member is moved by a hydraulic cylinder, which is driven by the hydraulic pump of a hydraulic unit.
 27. The method in accordance with claim 25, wherein the tension member is moved by a geared motor unit with pinion or lantern gear force transmission.
 28. The method in accordance with claim 25, wherein the drive unit is requested by a radio transmission mechanism.
 29. The method in accordance with claim 25, wherein the connecting mechanism is manually requested.
 30. The method in accordance with claim 25, wherein the connecting mechanism is requested by remote control. 